Dear Faith friends and members,
We are familiar with the first line of the old Christmas hymn, THE FIRST NOEL. "The first Noel, the angels did say, was to certain poor shepherds, in fields as they lay.
Such an amazing experience, to be in an open field with only the light of a small campfire, and only the sound of sheep 'baaing" to each other, when suddenly it is as bright as noon day and a beautiful choir of angels announce, "Unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!" What a great reason for failing to get a good night's sleep!"
The best news ever given to humanity was not how to start a fire from flint, or how to make gunpowder, or how to split the atom, or even how to make Aunt Susie's delicious apple pie. The best good news is that a Savior has come to planet earth. The Son has come from the Father, the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. He has come to allow us to live an abundant life, a life full of meaning and of purpose.
CHRIST SAVES US IN AT LEAST THREE WAYS. HE SAVES US FROM THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS. In our own individual, in his presence, he sees not only our gossip, our profanity, and other overt sins, but also our self-centeredness, our pride, our bigotry, and all the other sinful attitudes hidden deep in our hearts. The good news is that a Savior has come who will dress us in his righteousness. When God looks at a man or woman who is in Christ, he sees him or her as he sees his own, only begotten Son. He sees us pure and holy. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians that God made Christ, who had no sins, to be sin on our behalf, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God (II Corinthians 5:21). Paul also told the Romans, that now righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22).
JESUS ALSO SAVES US FROM THE POWER OF SIN. A women and her son were in a Japanese concentration camp during the Second World War. They were treated horribly. However, after the war the woman wrote about her family's experiences to help her young son understand that war brings out the worst in people. She didn't want her son hating the Japanese, but rather understanding that the pressures of warfare made the Japanese they met much worse people than they normally would have been.
Christians may have in Christ the power to resist the pressures of this world which push us to go along with the crowd, saying and doing things that we know displease God. Jesus stood out in the crowd; he didn't get pushed around by it. Paul told the Romans to resist being conformed to this world, and instead live to be transformed by the renewing of your mind so you will be able to see and prove what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
JESUS ALSO SAVES US FROM THE VERY PRESENCE OF SIN. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who died of cancer, referred to death as a friend. I think he meant that death ushers us into a new existence where we no longer have to fear being robbed, or being treated unfairly, or being the victim of misunderstanding. When we die we leave behind many good people and good things, but, praise God, we can say good riddance to sin forever.
Praying that, as you ponder the great salvation you have in Jesus Christ, you will have peace on earth, and good will towards others.
In God's great grace with you,
Pastor Gary
